Ilves beat Turku PS 3-0 at Veritas Stadium in the Veikkausliiga Relegation Group, stage 25, on Saturday. The visitors moved from ninth to eighth in the standings, while the hosts dropped further from eighth into the relegation battle. It was a result that changed things for both sides in the table.
Teemu Hytönen missed a penalty in the fourth minute, but he made amends ten minutes later when he converted from the spot to give Ilves the lead. By then, Turku PS had already lost Abdoulie Tamba to a yellow card for a foul. The home side pressed forward, but Ilves held their shape and took the advantage into the break.
Elias Tamminen doubled the lead in the 67th minute after Turku PS had made three changes at the break. They brought on Yiandro Raap, Tatu Miettunen and Maksim Stjopin, but the visitors tightened things up instead of chasing the game. Timo Zaal picked up his second booking of the evening as the hosts searched for a way back into it.
Stanislav Baranov put the game to bed in the 90th minute with a late strike that ended any hope of a comeback. Turku PS had made five substitutions in total — they brought on Jesse Kilo, Elmer Vauhkonen, Matej Hradecky, Tomi Vakiparta and Teemu Hytönen — but the damage was done. Ilves held firm until the final whistle.
Statistics tell you the story too. Turku PS controlled 57 percent of possession and registered eight corners, but they created only one big chance. Ilves had just 43 percent of the ball and three corners, yet they produced three big chances. The visitors were more efficient with their shots — six on target from 21 attempts compared to the hosts' eight on target from 18.
The result leaves Turku PS on 31 points in eighth place, one match behind their opponents. Ilves move up to eighth with 28 points, closing the gap on the teams above them in the relegation group. Both sides have played 25 games now, and the race for survival is tightening.
